Japan has been given the okay by UN to dump radioactive waste water into the ocean, but nearby countries are protesting that its unsafe. Is it unsafe? Is it safe?
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“Radioactivity” is one of those fun words in society.
Few fully understand and can appreciate what it does, what is hazardous, etc. Flip side, there is a nearly unlimited pool of “experts” who will tell you how “dangerous” it is.
The Dunning–Kruger effect here is very real (people who are not experts in radiation are also very vocal about the dangers it poses??).
Nearly everything is radioactive, the question is “HOW” radioactive.
You have a group of people who have no issues with granite countertops but will rant and rant about “radioactivity” and the dangers “radiation” presents?
[https://www.epa.gov/radiation/granite-countertops-and-radiation#:~:text=Radon%20released%20from%20granite%20building,of%20beta%20and%20gamma%20radiation](https://www.epa.gov/radiation/granite-countertops-and-radiation#:~:text=Radon%20released%20from%20granite%20building,of%20beta%20and%20gamma%20radiation).
Take a look at any discussions around opening a new nuclear power plant and see for yourself.
But to address your questions, yes the water being dumped is radioactive, but many things are. Does dumping a “known quantity” of radioactive water into an ocean which also contains radioactive components “damage” things
An interesting article discussing this very topic and presenting details on how radioactive the ocean already is:
[https://schmidtocean.org/cruise-log-post/the-ocean-is-radioactive/](https://schmidtocean.org/cruise-log-post/the-ocean-is-radioactive/)
““The ocean is quite radioactive, much more so than rivers,””
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